Thursday, July 26, 2007

Terry's Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

You know what I love about the food blogging community? The willingness to share recipes. There are people out there who could make a lot of money selling cookbooks or opening a bakeshop with their recipes, yet they freely post them for all to try. And try them I do.

Tuesday was our monthly birthday party at work, and while all the food was covered, I felt like making another cake to add to the buffet. For the recipe, I turned to alpine berry’s Swiss orange chip cupcakes. Good decision! These things were absolutely delicious! They didn’t store too well (by far better the night I made them than the next night, but still good even then). Oh, but MAN were they good straight out of the oven! Slightly warm orange cupcakes with a warm chocolate ganache. I kept trying to describe the flavor to the boy as “it tastes just like that chocolate orange you get at Christmas time and you whack it on a table!” He had no clue what I was talking about. After a google search for “chocolate orange” I showed him that I was referring to the typically British Terry’s Chocolate Orange. I now have a burning desire to rename the cake the Terry’s Chocolate Orange cake.

Anyway, the cake. It is supposed to make 15 cupcakes, which is equal to an 8” cake and 3 cupcakes. Since I wanted to bring a cake to work I poured the batter in the cake pan first, and then went to pour the cupcakes. I must have put too little in the cake pan as I had enough batter for 6 cupcakes, and the cake did turn out a little thin. Those cupcakes, however, have disappeared! I had one as soon as I frosted it (and wanted to propose marriage to the cupcake right then!!) then I gave one to the boy. His response “you are taking the cake to work? Don’t! Give it to me!” This is surely a cake that will be repeated over and over again, and if I can just have it fresh out of the oven, I would say this is likely my favorite cake ever. THAT’S A BIG DEAL! Hint: TRY THIS!

Tips and Changes for next time: just make cupcakes. Try mini cupcakes too! The chips sank to the bottom, so I would mix them with the dry ingredients next time.

In other news, I have been named a Rocking Girl Blogger by Run-Girl-Run. Thank you so much! I now get to tag 5 darling gals who I read daily.Smitten Kitchen-Every time I open her page I want to drool. Then Smile and laugh. There are great pictures of the food as well as stories to keep you entertained.Taste and Tell- She has created a lovely site with phenomenal recipes you have seen and will continue to see hereCream Puffs in Venice- The first food blog I really enjoyed! B-e-a-utiful.Cupcake my Love-I just started reading, but am already planning to make a few of her lovely creationsCupcake Project- Best idea ever! She has volunteered to make cupcakes for her friends’ wedding, so she is spending the time between now and the New Years Eve wedding trying to find the perfect cakes. We all benefit as she critiques any possible changes and lets us know what her friends thought.

Now what you care about. The cupcakes that I said may be my favorite. Swiss Orange Chocolate Chip Cupcakes(makes 15 cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp.

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp grated orange zest (I used all of the zest from one large orange)

2 extra-large eggs, at room temp. (mine were not at room temp)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3 oz buttermilk, at room temp. (used the old trick of milk + lemon juice=buttermilk) (3 oz is a little over a third of a cup, fyi)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips (used chopped chocolate baking pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside dry ingredients. Combine orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla extract in a small Pyrex measuring cup. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the orange zest. Then add the eggs, 1 at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Mix in half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with flour, buttermilk, and flour. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Fill 15 lined muffin cups ¾ full (I did an 8” cake and 6 cupcakes, but would recommend just cupcakes). Bake for 20-25 minutes (barely needed 20 minutes). Cool cupcakes in the muffin pans for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp light corn syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract (I wanted to up the orange flavor so I used orange juice instead. LOVED it!)

Combine chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until well combined about 2-3 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract (/orange juice). Glaze your cooled cupcakes